Railway-switch



(No Model.)

SCHNEIDER.

RAILWAY SWITCH. No. 577,150..

Patented Feb. 16, 1897.

, mVE/v TOR ATTORNEY)" a UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

RAl LWAY- SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,150, dated February 16, 1897.

7 Application filed April 21, 1396. Serial No. 588,430. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New Yorlnhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part thereof, in which similar letscribed, and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of railway having my improved switch attached thereto. Fi 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on a line so a: of Fig. 1. In this view the front portion of a car is shown having my improved operating mechanism attached to the platform thereof. Fig. 3-is a plan view of the car-platform and the operating mechanism, and Fig. 4t is a crosssectional elevation on a line 3/ y of Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention an ordi nary switch-tongue A is pivoted, through the medium of a spindle or bolt a, to any suitable support a. This said tongue rests upon a sheet-metal casing B, which said casing is provided at each end thereof with downwardly and inwardly turned tongues Z). These said tongues support a sliding plate 0, which plate is provided with an upwardly-projected pin a, which engages with the flange of the tongue A and moves laterally within a slot 19' of the casing B. The said sliding plate is further provided with two downwardly-projected lugs O, which lugs have curved edges adapted to engage with levers D and D for operating the sliding plate 0. These said levers are pivoted, respectively, to bearings e and f upon the lower surfaces of the longitudinal rails E and F, said levers being further provided with upwardly-extended heads (1 and d, which engage, respectively, with slots 6 and f of the rails E and F.

As a means for operating the said levers I rollers H, and at their forward ends with. up-

wardly-projected arms g, which are pivotallyattached to bearings 7; upon the dashboard I of the car. The said hangers G are normally maintained in a downward position, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 2

of the drawings,through the medium of coilsprings J, which are attached to and projected from bearings j upon the platform of the car.

As a means for operating the switch I provide a sliding bolt K, which has two beveled ends 7e. These said ends are adapted to bear upon the face of the arms 9 and maintain them alternately in operative and inoperative positions, whereby the rollers or Wheels H are placed in inoperative position (illustrated by full lines in Fig. 2) or in operative position, as illustrated by dotted lines, or the hangers G may both be maintained in inoperative position by placing the bolt midway between the arms 9. The said bolt K is mounted upon pins Z, which are rearwardly projected from bearings L, secured to the dashboard of the car. These said pins pass through slots of the bolt K.

As a means for operating the bolt I provide a lever M, which is pivotally attached at about the center thereof to a bearing m and at the bottom thereof to a pin m, which is projected from the center rear face of the bolt K. I

In the operation of the device, the switch being set as illustrated in Fig. 1 and it being desirable to open it, whereby the main track will be clear, an operator upon the car will, at about the time that the car reaches the position approximating that shown in Fig. 2, move the sliding bolt K until it assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 3, whereby the spring J will cause the Wheel H to be-maintained in frictional contact with the rail E, and when the said wheel reaches a point directly over the slot 6 it will engage with the head (I of the lever D and depress said head,

whereby the end of the lever contacting with the depending lug 0 will be forced upwardly into the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus carrying the plate 0 in the direction of the arrow 1 and opening the switch. To close the switch, the same operation will be applied to the opposite lever D by allowing the hanger G to be forced into a downward position by its spring J, after first removing the bolt K from contact with the arm g.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I 1. In a railway-switch, the combination of a sliding plate having depending lugs thereon, and means for supporting the same, and a swinging tongue attached to said plate; with levers for engagement with the lugs of said plate, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the dashboard of a car, of a switch-operating device consisting of the sliding bolt with beveled ends attached to a pivoted lever bearing upon pivoted springactuated hangers connected to the dashboard, which said hangers are actuated by said sliding bolt and carry wheels adapted for operating a switch mechanism from a car, substantially as shown and described.

3. A switch-operating device consisting of a sliding bolt with beveled ends attached to a pivoted lever bearing upon apivoted springactuated hanger which carries a wheel adapted for operating a switch mechanism, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of April, 1896.

HERMAN SCHNEIDER,

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM SOHOTT, DORA FINK. 

